Roulette spelling game



JuIy ZO, 1937. i Q s M 2,087,555

ROULETTE SPELLING GAME Filed Aug. 21, 1936 (fa/4 6. JV/VPJ 0/1 1 N VENTOR.

Patented July 20, 1937 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROULETTE SPELLING GAME Cecil G. Simpson, Los Angeles, Calif.

,Applicati on August 21, 1936, Serial No. 97,201

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an educational game device of the roulette type.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide simplified and more efiicient means to govern the rotation of the rotary part of the device; to provide means for imparting quicker and peculiar movements to the-indicating balls; to furnish an improved arrangement of letters or other symbols whereby more efficient cooperation is afforded between the stationary and rotatable parts of the. device in using the device to play a game; and to simplify and stabilize the structure as a whole thereby rendering it very easy to operate and enabling it to withstand the hard usage to which it is apt to be subjected in the hands of children.

A more specific object is to provide an improved arrangement of weighted, centrifugally controlled brakes which will not retard the speed of rotation of the rotatable parts after they have been given a vigorous whirl, until the parts put into rotation have slowed down considerably, whereupon said brakes will come. into action and cause a relatively sudden stopping of the rotating parts.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates What is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the complete device,

Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section thereof on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, the peripheral portion of the base being broken away to contract the view.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the base 5, desirably supported by feet 6, has a centrally located cylindrical recess 1 provided with a diametrically expanded mouth portion 8 Which, in turn has its upper portion contracted by means of an inwardly directed circular lip 9. Said mouth portion 8 has a floor Hi all parts of which incline downwardly towards the center of the base in order to direct the game balls II and I2 towards the central recess I.

In the center of the base is mounted a post or upstanding pointed pin 15 whereon is rotatably supported the circular rotor 18. Said rotor is formed as a thickened disk having thru it an axial bore within which a sleeve I1 is fitted with a friction tight fit, this sleeve being a downward extension of the knob l8 whereby whirling movement is manually given to the rotor. The interior diameter of said sleeve is slightly greater than the diameter of the post [5 in order that frictional contact may be at the pointed top of the post only. It will be seen that the knob 18 together with its sleeve-like extension I! constitutes combined means for manually spinning the rotor and for mounting it upon its pivotal support.

The post I5 upstands a sufficient distance to provide a clearance l9 below the mounted rotor. Within this clearance operate a pair of centrifugally controlled brakes. 20 each of which is shown secured to the lower face of the rotor 16 by means of a pivot screw 2| which is attached to the outer portion of the rotor and is located eccentrically in relation to the center of gravity of the combined brake and Weight 20. Each screw 2| preferably passes thru a washer Zlw which engages the opposite face of the brake. member 20 and serves to space said member slightly away from the rotor. The head of each screw supports the part of the brake member thru which it passes.

Each brake 20 by preference and as shown consists of a flattened or plate like. bar. The free end portion of each brake bar 20 is normally held against a stop pin 20s by the yielding pressure of an angular wire spring 22. Each of said springs is attached to the bottom of the rotor by means of an anchor screw 23, an auxiliary pin or screw 24 being also provided for each spring to aid in holding it in its operative position. At its center each spring is looped at 25, and its free limb 26 has an angularly directed finger 21 that presses against the edge portion of the brake against which the spring acts. The free limb of each spring 22 forms a saddle that aids in supporting the portion of the adjacent brake bar 20 which is farthest from its pivot 2|.

When the rotor is rapidly rotated by applying a vigorous twirling movement to the knob l8, centrifugal force urges the inner end portion of each weight 2!] outwardly in opposition to the action of its spring. When the centrifugal force lessens sufiiciently to be overcome by said spring, then the spring causes the braking portion of said weight to engage with the recessed portion of the bowl 5 and abruptly stop the rotor.

The outer end portion of each brake 20, that is to say, the part thereof thru which the pivot screw 2| extends, is furnished with a toe 28 which normally frictionally engages the wall of the circular recess 1, but whenever the operator twirls the knob i8 with suflicient speed, the rotor is caused to turn upon its pivot so rapidly that centrifugal force, acting against the opposition centrifugal force'uponits brakes, whereupon the:

of spring 22, swings the inner end portion of the. brake outwardly and thus withdraws its toe 28 from engagement with the wall of recess 1. When this occurs the rotor will continue to rotate freely until the slight friction'upon itsbearing reduces its speed and thereby lessens the effect of wire springs will act to swing the toe portions 28 of the brakes into engagement with the side wall points along its periphery, but the peripheral.

portion thereof is sufficiently elevatedto afford a series of peripheral shoulders 30 between which intervene notches'or pockets 3i large enough to 7 receive either of the gameballs l I and I2.

Fig. 2 it is seen that said notches are inclined downwardly and outwardly from the center 'of the rotor. In the' mountedrotor said shoulders 3i? project'somewhat above the adjacent portion of the floor l0 located outwardly beyond them.

Each' ball-receiving notch or pocket '3l'is labeled or indexed on the rotor with an alphabetical or other character inscribed adjacent thereto upon the upper surface of the rotor l6. Also, in the drawing, four pockets, ninety degrees apart, are shown having special designations, three of these being the'radially arranged words Const (abbreviation for consonant),

:Choice, and Vowel; while the fourth designation is shown asa darkened somewhat triangular area 32. The other twenty-six pockets are shown labeled with the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, not however, arranged in alphabetical order.

As viewed from'above, each notch 3| is of a semi-ovoidal shape with its axis inclined from the center outwardly in an anti-clockwise direction with relation to the periphery of the rotor. Owing to the manner in which'the notches-or pockets 3} are inclined or placed askew, there is an acute angle at one side of each pocket and an obtuse angle at'the other side thereof. Hence, when the rotor is twirled in a clockwise direction the obtuse corner portions of the shoulders 30 between the pockets strike the balls causing less wear both upon the balls and upon the rotor. This striking action gives English to the balls as they are struck by the striking face of each pocket. The rotor is intended for rotation in the clockwise direction only.

When the rotor stops the balls II and i2 continueto'roll. Whenever, during its rotation, the balls recede by gravity from the upper dishshaped portion of the base 5 and contact with the notches 3| of the rotating rotor, the striking face of the notch contacted causes the ball to be given an additional impetus. These striking faces owing to their location close to the lower edge of the disk floor 10, act positively upon the descending balls.

When the balls recede by gravity into another contact with the striking faces of the notched portionof the rotating rotor they'are trajectorized in such a manner as to impart English to each ball. V

More than two game balls may be used, these balls each being of a different color thanthe l2. The players will take turns spinning the-rotor by means of itsknobi I8' and when, for example,

"the player having the white ball II spins the ,or passed out, one tov each player,

calls for in the fewest number of spins.

. they spell the Words.

rotor, his credit will be determined by the character opposite to the notch 3| in which his ball" lodges when the rotor comes to rest. When a game is being played involving word building, if

- his bail lodges in. the pocket labeled Vowel the receives as the game progresses.

The object of the game is to spell words, and

there are many ways in which this can be done.

he gets no letter. Each player may be required to keep a written record'of the designations he 7 One way to play the game is to have cards or slips of paper bearing words of the same number of letters. These can be shuffled and then dealt I The winner is the person who obtains the letters his word The letters need not be secured in the order in which Thewords on the cards may be short or lOng to suit the age of the players.

Another variation is to spin a certain'number blank space 32.

A group of players can take words dealing with whatever interests them at the time, such as words connected with athletics, various studies,

professions, or news events.

It should be understood that the presentfdis- .closure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents whichfall within the scope of the subject matter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the kind described, a base having in its'upper side a circular recess, a circular rotor mounted within said recess with a clearance between its periphery. and the circular wall of said 'recessyand a spring-retracted centrifu'gally operated brake mounted upon said rotor for engaging and disengaging the aforesaid wall ofsaid recess.

2.. In a device of the kind described, a has having in its upper side a circular recess, a circular rotor mounted ,within said recess, with a clearance between its periphery and the circular between the bottom of said rotor and the floor of said recess, a brake bar pivotally attached to the bottom of said rotor near its periphery, said brake bar having a, toe portion engageable with the circular wall of said recess, a spring mp wall of said recess, there also being a. clearance V mally holding said toe portion in frictional en- 7 gagement with said'circular wall, and means to spin. said rotor with suflicient speed-to cause from engagement with said vcircularwall. V

3. In a deviceof the kinddescribed a cavitated base, a rotor mounted in the cavity of saidbase to rotate in a horizontal plane, said rotor being centrifugal force to withdraw said toe portion" provided with means for the spinning thereof, there being a clearance in the cavity of said base beneath said rotor, an elongated brake member pivoted to the bottom of said rotor to swing to and from a braking contact with said base, and a spring carried by said rotor and tending to move said brake member to a braking position against the opposition of centrifugal force, said spring constituting a saddle to aid in supporting said brake member from said rotor.

4. In a device of the kind described, a base having in its upper side a circular recess, a circular rotor mounted within said recess with a clearance between its periphery and the circular Wall of said recess, a centrifugally operated brake eccentrically mounted upon said rotor, said brake having a toe portion adjacent its eccentric mounting for engaging and disengaging the aforesaid wall of said recess, and a spring mounted upon said rotor and operatively related to said brake, the free end of said brake moving in a direction to unclutch the toe of said brake with its engaging wall under the urge of centrifugal force when said rotor is rotated, and said spring reacting to restore said brake to normal when the centrifugal force becomes nil.

5. The subject matter of claim 4 and, said spring forming a saddle support for the free end of said brake.

CECIL G. SIMPSON. 

